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Kavanaugh FBI Probe Authorized to Expand

Facing pressure from critics, the White House authorized the FBI to expand its investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh beyond restrictions originally set last week. The FBI originally was directed to question only four witnesses: Two friends of Kavanaugh's, one friend of Dr. Cristine Blasey Ford, and Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct while at Yale. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018)

What to Know

All 100 senators will be able to read the FBI's new report about sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley will see the report first, followed by his colleagues individually or potentially in groups

Nine staff members — both Democrats and Republicans – will also be able to read the report and can brief members

All 100 senators, and a handful of Senate staff, will be able to read the FBI's new report on sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But it's unclear if the public will see it.

Background checks are a routine part of any nominee's vetting process and are generally delivered to the Senate without much fanfare. This background check, requested by a trio of senators who are undecided on Kavanaugh's confirmation, will be different.

It's expected that many senators will want to read or be briefed on the supplemental background check.

The report will review allegations from California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers, and from Kavanaugh's Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, who says he exposed himself to her at a party when both were freshmen. Kavanaugh has denied their accusations.

Who’s Who in the Kavanaugh FBI Investigation

President Donald Trump ordered an FBI background investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to take place before the full Senate votes on his confirmation. The FBI interviewed witnesses, including Kavanuagh’s high school friend Mark Judge and accuser Deborah Ramirez. Others have said they had information to contribute to the FBI’s investigation. Here you’ll find a selection of interviewees or people who wanted to contribute.

To accommodate the senators, and to guard the sensitive information, the FBI's report is expected to be held in a secure room normally reserved only for classified matters. There are several of these rooms in the Capitol complex, but senators usually use one in the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center just off the Senate side. The rooms are called SKIFs, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is expected to read the report first, followed by his colleagues either individually or possibly in groups.

According to a preliminary schedule, Republicans will read the first hour, starting Thursday morning, and Democrats will read the hour after that, according to a person who was briefed on the plan. The person was not authorized to release the information and requested anonymity.

There are nine staff members — both Republicans and Democrats — who have access to the report and can brief members who don't want to read it in detail.

The White House confirmed early Thursday that it had received the FBI report and said in a statement that it is "fully confident" the Senate will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

No copies will be made of the report, as is standard, so senators will have to go to the room to learn what is in it. And because the report is confidential, they will be expected not to repeat what they learn.

Kavanaugh to Take Supreme Court Seat Days After Confirmation

Brett Kavanaugh is expected to take his seat on the Supreme Court on Tuesday, just days after the Senate narrowly voted to confirm him despite allegations of sexual misconduct from his teenage years.

(Published Monday, Oct. 8, 2018)

"None of that stuff's public," Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters on Wednesday. "If you want people to be candid when they talk to the FBI, you ain't going to make that public."

The rules for keeping investigations confidential and closely held were laid out in an agreement with the governing background checks dating from the Obama administration. It's unclear whether there will be a public summary of the information, or whether the White House would be allowed to release portions of the report.